You're Not Perfect in The Eyes of The World

Postmodernism is the theories of how people see art differently. In our lives today we are surrounded by this, that we are subconsciously affected by it. Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, there is some form of postmodernism. In these ads, and pictures is where we “find” ourselves, and determine who we are, and how we should look.

One example of this can be seen in TV ads. An ad for a certain medicine to cure psoriasis depicts happy, energetic adults who have been cured of this ailment. In the ad, as these people are doing youthful things, the words “Let the real you shine through!” are played in the background. These words make those who suffer from the disease feel as if they are not them self with coping with the disease, and therefore demote them. In actuality, we should applaud these people for having to cope with this issue.

Another example of this can be seen through social media. In today's world, you can open an app, and instantly find pictures of models. With these pictures you begin to judge yourself, and it makes you want to change in order to be more like these pictures. Instead of focusing on one's individuality, one focuses on how to be more like everyone else.

How Relevant is Postmodernism

Postmodernism is something that we see in our everyday lives, whether or not we notice it. The thing about postmodernism is that it isn't something that we do in our lives, it is our lives. What we do with ourselves how we want to be viewed by other people is completely up to the individual. What postmodernism does is it allows the average person to break free of the strict standards of society and make their own path to living.

Originally, the term postmodernism would refer to art or abstract art. What seems to be the case now is that postmodernism has spread into a lifestyle than a concept. People today will do anything and everything to stand out, which is the opposite of how it used to be. Back before the 1920's, people were all trying to fit into what an acceptable person would be. But, in the modern age, everyone wants to feel like a snowflake, like there's nothing exactly like you. The strict guidelines of society have now withered away, creating a prime example of what people today don't want to become.

We also see postmodernism in politics. The style of politics that we know now, with all of the arguing and personal attacks, was not always the way of politics. Even all of the TV broadcasting and the insane amount of viewership was not as immensely high even just a few years ago. This shows that even politicians want to be something new, or just something that is better than what America had previously.

Another way postmodernism is represented in society is through education. The education system in America used to be a lot more strict and un-enjoyable than it is today. Just imagine what it would be like to go to Fenwick, sort of like that. There used to be strict dress codes with no talking in class, only one gender in each school. Now a days, we take school for granted, complaining about anything that we get the chance to complain about. Meanwhile, the school system as a whole has developed exceptionally well from what it used to be pre-postmodernism.

Postmodernism has given people the true freedom of choice, whether it be what they wear, their profession, or the type of music they listen to. And people like to choose for themselves. It gives them a sense of power and even control on their life. The idea has gotten rid of strict ideologies and has opened up the world for new interpretation. Postmodernism is a way of life and has extended society into what it is today.

Putting Hillary Clinton in Her Basket of Deplorables

In this ad for the 2016 presidential election Donald trump is trying to convince people to not vote for Hillary Clinton. He is trying to convince people of this by using pathos, ethos and logos.

In this ad it shows Hillary Clinton is giving a speech to a room of upper class Americans and during her speech she calls the middle and lower classes a basket of deplorable. In this ad Donald trump uses pathos by making the ad more personal to the viewer. He does this by saying she’s calling “you” a deplorable. This makes the viewer feel more personally offended and hurt by Hillary Clinton's words.

In this ad Donald trump tries to turn voters against Hillary Clinton by using ethos. At the end of the ad it takes Hillary Clinton's words and uses it against her by calling her “deplorable for viciously dehumanizing hard working people like you.” This tries to smear her image by showing that she would openly insult people that don’t agree with her or people who are not on her side. This also shows that she is a hypocrite because she would generally stereotype a group of people negatively, but still judge Donald trump for doing the exact same thing.

In all, this ad tries to convince people of not voting for Hillary Clinton by making her seem like she is personally offending the voter. And by shining her in a bad light by making her seem hypocritical, stereotypical and willing to offend anyone that is not on her side.

Bernie Burning Across America

This campaign ad, while has no words displays a very clear message to the American public. Bernie doesn't attack any other runners in the video which almost makes him seem higher up in a way.  Like Michelle Obama says, Hillary Clinton these days too, "When they go low, we go high." Which I thought was very interesting because all that both current candidates seem to be doing is attack the other on basically everything.

Bernie uses a very strong ethos approach in the ad. The scenes of all the citizens is very reminiscent to the scenes of an Obama ad. Displaying farmers, some sort of industrial workers, people in the suburbs, and crowds of supporters shouting Bernie's name with signs waiting to hear him speak. Bernie is greeting his supporters and speaking on his beliefs. Which really shows how much of a true person he is.

Not A True War Hero?

The ad “War Hero” was created by Clinton’s campaign team to promote Clinton and show Trump’s degrading comments. This ad reminds us of what Donald Trump said about Senator John McCain and ultimately about all POW’s, vets, and current servicemen and women. Trump said that McCain is “not a war hero” because he was captured. The ad shows a veteran (Joel Sollender) who was captured by the Nazi's during WW ll in 1944. “My war was 70 years ago, and yesterday.” This ad uses pathos when Joel shows us the effects war has on veterans, and how they can still be struggling 70 years later. Trump doesn’t understand what McCain or other POW's went through. Trump’s comments, I feel, just make these struggles worse for people like Joel.

This ad uses ethos, it shows Trump’s character and how he feels about what makes a true war hero. Trump said “I like people who weren’t captured, OK?” This shows his lack of respect for POW's and all servicemen and women and ultimately his character in general.

The music in the background represents sadness, anger and disappointment. This ad makes you feel sad that these comments were made towards our veterans, mad that Trump feels like he has the right to make those comments and lastly, disappointed at Trump and his childish and immature comments. Overall, this ad shows Trumps real feelings towards the military, and personally, this ad and Trump's comments make me sad.

Trump's Movement Towards Blindness

The main reason presidential candidate Donald Trump won over the republican vote is that he is all about change. As president he plans to take action, build a wall, and make America a greater and safer place for it's citizens. People who fit his description of a 'citizen' are pleased by his words, feeling that they are so unsafe and Trump will save them. He is an expert in hyping up the crowd through pathos, which is clearly shown through his recent Movement advertisement. Trump blinds his audience with confidence and a sense of progression to hide the reliability of his words.

Throughout the ad, words like 'together', 'success', 'future', and 'freedom' and flashed across the screen. These positive words invoke relief and hope that Trump will create a better America. He also uses the overwhelming hate his supporters have for Hillary Clinton to his advantage. In the ad, an old video of the Clintons is shown and in the background a voice is heard saying "Leave the past behind". Donald Trump is a new face, has new ideas for the 'All American Citizens' of our country, and his tone displays this to his audience. The Movement ad is meant to show how Trump's progressive and confident tone is what America needs. By keeping his promises and helping those who follow him, he will make America great again through change. Those who don't support Trump, however, will not be affected by his pathos and will fact-check his actual promises. They will see how he does not treat women with respect, though in his ad women are seen smiling for him and shaking his hand. They will see how he is an oblivious racist, though he is seen with people of different ethnicity. It is admirable that his team decided to include these images to further blind his supporters, but not all will be fooled. 

Guns or Glory?

Hillary Clinton has shown that she is against the idea of the right to bear arms, our Second amendment, and that strict guidelines should be laid out to keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people. And with such a strong opinion comes strong political ads that want to counter that argument.

One such commercial produced by the NRA represents this perfectly. In this ad, named “Don't Let Hillary Clinton Leave You Defenseless”, portrays a break in. Intense music plays in the background, and the women flies out of bed, calls 911, and opens her safe containing a handgun. But just as she is about to reach for the gun, it disappears, leaving her defenseless.

So why does this add give us this feeling in our stomach that is indescribable? The almost nauseating feeling?

It all comes down to the effect of pathos; or the ability to evoke fear or sadness. When the ad begins and the intense music plays, it immediately strikes fear into us, without knowing what it's about. And then the sound of broken glass, and heavy footsteps penetrate us with an almost horror movie type feel. As she unlocks the safe, there is a scene of relief, a feeling of safety. All of that changes though, as Hillary herself, steals the gun, as if she is the intruder. This is one of our worst fears: Being left defenseless. And this is what the ad is saying : “You vote for Hillary, you are defenseless in a world of bad people”.

There is a legitimate reasoning for Hillary's hate of hand guns.  In the United States, people do not have to pass a back ground check before obtain a firearm.  So people with a criminal record and people with a history of serious mental diseases can easily obtain a gun.  Along with this stat, 50% of people who have committed suicide have used a hand gun, so they hurt just as much as they help.  These points all point to having stricter rules for guns, or just the straight out ban of guns all together.

Campaign 2016: One Big Action Movie

Often times, ads on TV, especially political ads, can be boring and bothersome. However, the ads that are actually interesting capture a viewer’s attention one way or another. Politicians constantly use T.V. ads to inform voters about their policies or even bash their opponents. In January, Ted Cruz released a very attention grabbing T.V. ad entitled “Invasion.” Cruz’s ad explains his stance on immigration. Compared to other political ads, Cruz’s really stands out in its presentation. Cruz uses a variety of film techniques similar to an action movie, such as slow motion and sound contrast, to emphasize his argument and captivate audiences.

The first 45 seconds of his 1-minute ad shows a variety of people running across what is supposed to be the Rio Grande River. In this very dramatic and action movie like scene, all of the people running across the river are wearing suits and other professional business clothing. The constant use of slow motion video clips adds to the excitement and suspense. The slow motion in the ad gives it an extra feeling that can only be described as an action movie. The use of slow motion gets the viewer revved up and excited. As the viewer watches this wonderful display of athleticism by the businessmen and women, dramatic, action movie style music plays in the background. The constant crescendos and decrescendos add to the action of the clips and highlights when the ad reaches its climax. The introduction takes a very slow approach and the music slowly increases speed as it brings the view to the apex of the ad. The music begins to die down around 45 seconds where it shows a clip of Ted Cruz from one of the GOP debates. He says, “If I am elected president, we will triple the border patrol, we will build a wall that works and we will secure the border.” As he says this, the extra-diegetic music dies down and fades away. The fading music causes the viewer to listen very attentively to his final argument at the end. The action movie style presentation and sound effects help strengthen Ted Cruz’s argument by captivating viewers and getting them to pay attention to what he is saying.

Trump Against Cruz

In continuation of their hostility, Republican candidate, Donald Trump, attacks Ted Cruz in his recent immigration advertisement. In Trump's "Clear Difference" ad, Ted Cruz is shown at his worst where he is stumbling over his words and is fickle about his immigration stance. Trump, however, is perfectly clear and collected, sharing his opinion on immigration, such as securing the borders. He appeals to the American people by describing the losses they've experienced because of the illegal immigrants and he utilizes ethos by degrading Cruz in order to build up his own character.

At the beginning of the campaign advertisement, snippets of an interview with Cruz play while banners displaying the accusations "Pro-Amnesty" and "Pro Immigration" appear over them. Between these clips of Cruz, comments such as "What is he talking about?" and "Yeah, right Ted" prominently flash. The combination of these two aspects describe Trump's low opinions of Cruz, which he uses to strengthen his own stature. By attacking the second leading Republican candidate, Trump's reputation and position seem more appealing, thus gaining himself voters. An interview of Trump proudly discussing his viewpoint on immigration then follows the attacks on Cruz. To appeal even more upstanding, there is uplifting and patriotic music playing in the background of his interview.

Throughout this interview, Trump uses particular diction such as "we" and "our" to unite the Americans against the immigrants causing "tremendous damage" to the country. By saying these specific words, he is building the people up to support his platform of "securing the borders" and, to overall, vote for him. All in all, Trump's "Clear Difference" advertisement attacks Cruz to build up his own character and then unifies the audience for secure borders.

Cruz: "The Invasion"

Ted Cruz recently released an advertisement regarding the importance of immigration regulation. The title of the advertisement, "Invasion," presents Cruz's audience with a sense that Cruz is aware of the growing issue. Throughout the one minute film, Cruz uses several outputs of media and rhetorical devices to strengthen and rally supporters for his immigration plan. In the advertisement, Cruz uses video effects, filming techniques, ethos, and forceful diction to evoke emotion and convey that he will establish firmer border patrols and prevent more illegal immigrants from entering the United States.

The advertisement begins with short, slow motion video of people running (most dressed like lawyers, bankers, etc.) through desert land and water. Each short clip then flashes to a plain black screen, transitioning one short clip to another. In addition, dramatic, 'dooming,' music plays in the background. These added effects establish a serious and overpowering presence. The emotion evoked from these effects make viewers to feel trapped, and as though Cruz will come to their rescue. Cruz's booming voice also supports that he is powerful, and in charge. The business clothing style signifies Cruz's ironic point that most illegal immigrants are often not associated in any higher, business occupations. Cruz tries to prove that if illegal immigrants were taking the jobs of lawyers and bankers, then the immigration issue would be much more on Americans' radar. Cruz states, "And I would say that the politics of it would be very, very different if a lot of lawyers or bankers were crossing the Rio Grande." Through the advertisement, Cruz emphasizes the growing need to fix the immigration problem.

Furthermore, the camera is often at a higher angle, suggesting that the people running are vulnerable to Cruz's aggressive immigration plan. The people running are also shown at a faster speed, further implying the increasing number of illegal immigrants, and that the rapid 'invasion' of illegal immigration is detrimental to America's economic system.

Moreover, Cruz uses his ethos and demanding language to evoke more support for his campaign. He says, “I understand that when the mainstream media covers immigration, it doesn’t often see it as an economic issue. But, I can tell you it is a very personal economic issues." Cruz uses words such as 'I,' 'you,' and 'personal' not only to connect with his audience, but also to establish that he knows how to fix the overflow of illegal immigrants and that he will be taken seriously. Cruz additionally forcefully expresses, "...the economic calamity that is befalling our nation." Cruz is aware that the issue must be solved and repeatedly uses a tone that demonstrates leadership and power. He then goes on to conclude as his logo (TrusTED) appears,“If I’m elected President, we will triple the border control, we will build a wall that works, we WILL secure the border." His logo displays the sense of alliance and true emotional connection that most Americans strive for when electing a president. Cruz believes on taking the initiative to bring attention to the growing problem before it can get worse.

McCain Utilizes Ethos and Camera Techniques

In John McCain's 2010 advertisement on illegal immigration titled, "Complete the Danged Fence," McCain argues that he will unite all levels of law enforcement (troops, local, state, and federal) in order to stop illegal immigration into Arizona. McCain also states that he wishes to build a fence around the southern border of the United States to also fight illegal immigration. In his advertisement, McCain appeals to ethos by employing the use of a police officer in order to legitimize the belief that his political views are what are best for America. McCain also utilizes bright lighting and close up camera shots in order to give the advertisement a personal feel and to make his audience feel secure in his ideas.

As McCain is walking along the border of Arizona and Mexico, he is alongside a police officer. The officer comments on McCain's plan, saying that it is "perfect" and towards the end of the advertisement, the officer says to McCain, "you're one of us." Law enforcement is often viewed as reliable authority: people you can trust and count on to have your best interest and safety in mind. By associating himself with the authorities, McCain enhances his credibility as a man individual's can trust and count on. Also, by having the officer say that McCain's plan is the right plan, McCain's ideas appear to be on the side of the nation and seem to have the best interest of the people. McCain utilizes law enforcement in order to enhance his position as a man who can be counted on and a man who wants to keep America safe.

McCain utilizes various film techniques throughout his ad in order to make himself authoritative and dependable. Throughout the advertisement, the shot is often close up to McCain's face. This close up shot makes the advertisement seems more personal. It almost puts the audience into the advertisement and makes them feel as if they are walking alongside McCain and the officer. By making the audience feel apart of the advertisement, McCain creates the illusion that he is directly addressing the fears and needs of advertisement audience members. As well as using camera angles, McCain also utilizes bright lighting to add a positive and secure note to the advertisement. As McCain is talking about his plan regarding illegal immigration, the bright lighting makes McCain's plan appear secure and with good intentions. The bright lighting also makes audiences feel optimistic and makes McCain appear reliable. 

In his advertisement, "Complete the Danged Fence," McCain utilizes an appeal to ethos and camera techniques in order to make himself appear empathetic, trustworthy, and optimistic. McCain encourages his advertisement viewers to support his plan to unite law enforcement and to build a fence between the United States and Mexico in order to fight illegal immigration in Arizona. 

Trump Criticizes Cruz

In Donald Trump’s latest political ad he attacks his fellow candidate Ted Cruz regarding Cruz’s views on immigration. The ad states that Cruz wishes to let undocumented immigrants remain in the United States permanently and to obtain legal status. Trump believes that one of our nation’s biggest problems is undocumented immigrants and he and his followers believe that letting undocumented immigrants stay in the United States hurts the nation and especially hurts the economy. In this advertisement, Trump criticizes Cruz’s views on immigration with the use of visual and auditory rhetorical techniques, that put Trump in a positive and valiant light and put Cruz in a negative and untrustworthy light.

Throughout the advertisement, Trump uses a contrast in music to emphasize that individuals should be worried about Cruz’s views on immigration and should trust Trump. When clips of Cruz appear in the ad, looming and intense music plays. The music has a fast beat, with unexpected symbol crashes and booms, all which make viewers feel uneasy and alert when Cruz is talking. The music ultimately presents Cruz in a negative, panicked light. When Donald Trump appears in the ad towards the end, the music changes from intense and abrupt to more soothing and pleasing music. The music is slower, has subtle trumpet noises, and a very patriotic vibe. The change in music from chaotic to calm when Trump appears, makes Trump look like he has control, and the patriotic undertones in the music as Trump is speaking about his views on immigration make Trump appear to really care about those issues in our country.

Trump uses bold and simple text to get straight to the point when criticizing Cruz’s views on immigration. As video clips of Cruz talking about his beliefs that illegal immigrants should be able to gain citizenship in the United States play on the screen, large text appears next to the clips that say “PRO IMMIGRATION” and “PRO AMNESTY” in all capital letters. These quick blurbs of criticism are simple and to the point, and are easy for all to understand. Donald Trump’s views are against illegal immigration and amnesty and by using text to identify Cruz as supporting these issues, Trump puts Cruz in a bad and untrustworthy light. The text is also surrounded by a dark red color, which makes it identifiable, but also gives the message an easily viewable negative tone. The simplicity of Trump’s criticism makes it easy for viewers to see and comprehend that Cruz is the bad guy in this light.

Trump uses visual and auditory effects to create a simple and comprehensible advertisement against Ted Cruz. With the use of loud, fast music and bold text, Trump makes viewers uneasy and alert when the ad focuses on Cruz. The contrasting positive tone when Trump is shown in the ad is complemented by light patriotic music. The negative and positive contrast between Trump and Cruz is easily identifiable, and shows that Trump believes that Cruz’s views on immigration are ineffective and an overall  threat to our nation.

Trump's Advertisement -

Uniforms in Life

In the book, A Visit from the Goon Squad, one of the motifs mentioned was uniforms. This could be applied to real life because everybody identifies themselves with something, therefore making that one of their uniforms. They could identify themselves by the sports they play, the teams they're on, their gender, their economic status, and many other parts of life that are identifiable. This also contributes to who we see as enemies, friends, inferior, and superior. Grouping up like this is one of the causes of the ongoing stereotypes and separation we deal with in America today.

Turning Popular Culture into Criticism - "Orange is the New Black" Advertisement

"Orange is the New Black", a political primary ad by American Crossroad PAC, is an example of a concise and effective political campaign ad.

The advertisement is attacking Hillary Clinton for allegedly receiving and sending classified information on her personal email. The ad highlights a press conference involving Clinton. Clinton is wearing an orange shirt during the press conference which the ad-makers effectively took advantage of. The title of the ad, "Orange is the New Black", turns a piece of popular culture against Clinton and Clinton's orange outfit implies the reference that she is a criminal. The orange suit parallels a prison outfit in this advertisement.

The ad-makers strategically picked a clip from one of Clinton's press conferences where she is stuttering and seems startled, attacked, and confused. A reporter continually prods at Clinton, asking if she wiped the server of her computer. Clinton does not give a clear answer and is continually stuttering, looking around and making distracting hand motions. The characteristics of her actions while she is being questioned make her look uneasy and reinforce the idea that Clinton is not telling the truth.

While showing the clip of Clinton at the press conference the music in the ad is not to overbearing as to distract the viewer from Clinton, but the music has the right amount of darkness and urgency that  sets the tone of the ad. The pounding xylophone sounds in the music seem to intensify Clinton's stress during the press conference and make it easier for the viewer to make the connection that she may be lying.

The ad also uses text to emphasize the argument that Clinton is not a trustworthy person. At the beginning of the advertisement, a quotation from The New York Times appears on screen and says, "...Classified information was in Hillary Clinton's email". This quotation is powerful in the ad because The New York Times is a well-known and well respected newspaper and many people trust it as their source of news. The quotation appears right as Hillary Clinton claims she did not send or receive classified information in her email. This placement of the quotation seems to infer Clinton's guilt.

Overall, this ad is extremely effective because of its use of visuals, audio, and text to persuade people to reconsider their views on Hillary Clinton. True or not, the ad-makers were very successful in making viewers question who Clinton really is.

Game of War ft. Kate Uptons Chest

The Game of War commercials that aired most frequently around the time of the Super Bowl, targeting male audiences, star Kate Upton as a queen of some sort, draped in white and shielded by silver armor. Throughout the series of ads she walks through her exploding castle, gives pep talks to men before war, and rides into battle with them. Sounds bad ass right? Sounds like she’s challenging a few stereotypes? Perhaps the character that Upton plays is breaking down barriers, but Upton herself is not. Instead, she is being used as a sex object to catch the attention of boys so that they will be tempted to play a video game.

The commercials are shot through the male gaze. They follow Upton’s breasts in slow motion as she rides her horse or walks through a battlefield. The armor she wears does less to protect her than it does to accentuate her figure. She recites poorly written and poorly delivered dialogue as if the words coming out her mouth don’t matter. In fact, males who commented on the videos on youtube would agree that her lines are unimportant. One comment said, “Kate Upton is someone who should be looked at, not heard.” This shows that she is in those commercials because of her looks. The company decided exploiting her body would be the best way to make a buck.

Although she is supposed to be a strong leader in war, Upton also asks, apparently to random teenage boys, “Will you be my hero?” This reaffirms not only the damsel in distress stereotype, but also the stereotype that men have to be tough, violent, and dominating.

One comment on youtube said, “I don't have a problem with a woman leading an Army. But making her all pretty and shiny while her soldiers look like trash and beat up, it's feminist and really stupid. No man would follow or respect that narcissist c**t.” This ignorant person completely misses the point. These commercials, while they do feature a strong female character, are actually the opposite of feminist. Upton is not “all pretty and shiny” because she thinks shes better than the men, she looks like that because males put her in that commercial for the sole purpose of turning males on. She’s there to be looked at. She’s there to be objectified. She’s there because we live in a society that treats women’s bodies like products to use and sell for entertainment.

Axe White Label: Reeking of Sexism

Axe, a men's fragrance and personal care brand, fits in perfectly with competitors like Old Spice and Irish Spring. Advertisements for these brands feature hypersexualized men and women, and distort gender and reality. Axe's commercials are problematic because they construct gender in a way that portrays women as sex objects without any agency, and men as attractive womanizers. Axe has taken criticism for their commercials about the "Axe Effect", which purportedly makes all women attracted to the wearer of the Axe cologne.

Axe's new commercials appear to be less problematic, as women are not directly portrayed as high-maintenance and unintelligent, but they tacitly construct gender in a harmful way. One of their new ads, Axe White Label- Pool, creates negative gender stereotypes for both men and women. This commercial upholds traditional gender stereotypes by constructing men as intelligent, suave, and coveted by all women, while presenting women as sex objects who lack agency.

The commercials is from the point of view of a woman suntanning at a hotel pool, who sees a man walking down the stairs in the hot sun. She then realizes that he isn't sweating, which must mean... (logical fallacy) he is a secret agent! The commercial then shows the man fighting off a bunch of enemies, before delivering her a menu, as he is actually the pool attendant. The flow of logic, or lack thereof, in the woman's thoughts, is comically flawed, and the tagline of the commercial, “How you feel says it all,” accentuates the commercial's view that men are in control of how they appear.

Through its focus on both the main character's bodies throughout the ad, the commercial constructs body image, and presents the woman as a submissive sexual object. The woman is first viewed in a bathing suit, reclining in revealing clothing. The ad shows the woman from high angle shots, and the man from low angle shot, taking away and giving power, respectively. Even though both characters are attractive, the woman is unable to control her apparent interest in the man, while he is able to function perfectly. This combats the stereotype that men are always drawn to attractive women, and are unable to control themselves, but sets up other stereotypes about women.

The most problematic part of the commercial may be the product's tagline, which according to the commercial, only applies to men. It grants agency to those who need it least, men in positions of power. The commercial deprives women of the ability to be who they feel they are, while giving men the ability to be viewed as a secret agent if the feel like they are a secret agent. From this ad's point of view, women are only important if they are beautiful and attractive, but even the pool boy has enough inherent masculine power to be whatever he wants.

Unfortunately, this commercial is not an outlier in the market for men's fragrances and personal care products. Axe's commercials sell sex appeal, and construct gender in a way that they assume appeals to their target demographics. Commercials like this one are constructing gender for anyone that views television or watches videos on the internet, as they play repeatedly. Even though the message they show appears to be ridiculous and illogical, repeated exposure constructs the harmful stereotypes nevertheless.

John Oliver: Employees Are More Than Robots

John Oliver, a former correspondent for The Daily Show, has recently established himself as one of the top satirists on television. His show, Last Week Tonight, works hard to take down established culture through investigative journalism and humor. Because the show airs without commercials, Oliver does not have to worry about insulting his sponsors, so every corporation and event has to be ready for his attacks.

Recently, Oliver satirized Lowes' new idea: robot assistants. He began the clip by showing other network's coverage of the hardware stores' commercial, pausing for comic relief after the actors smile oddly at the robots. As the actor in the commercial mentions that he might be friends with the robot, Oliver stops the clip and says, "That sentence may be the single saddest sentiment ever spoken". Oliver uses sarcasm repeatedly to convey that using robots in place of human workers is an idiotic idea.

John Oliver then presents his idea for a commercial for Home Depot, which shows why human employees are so valuable. Oliver decides that the most important job of a hardware store employee is to stop couples from arguing. He presents a valid argument that hardware stores create marital problems, as they involve making long term decisions, spending money, and arguing over tastes. However, he includes fluorescent lighting as a problem with hardware shopping to create humor, adding that nobody leaves one of these stores happy.

The fake commercial is really where the irony begins, as the hypothetical worker, played by Nick Offerman uses both physical comedy and verbal irony as he tries to help a couple. Every item creates tension between the couple, hyperbolizing the potential for conflict at a store. Offerman simply fixes every problem by suggesting another product, or praising the product, showing that the couples don't need much to be distracted. At Offerman's suggestion, they forget about all of their problems, which range from house size to marital infidelity. The couple appears to be arguing as if they were at a psychiatrist, which creates situational irony.

Oliver's larger point is to critique the digitilization of modern life. Although it is obvious that he takes the role of the employee to an extreme, Oliver appreciates the role that human interactions play in our lives, and that employees are more than robots who follow orders. Oliver's critique is positive, because it argues for greater valuation of store employee, and doesn't take down another society while doing so.

(Video is explicit)

Appeal to Authority in Pizza Hut Commercial

In a recent Pizza Hut commercial, the creators are blatantly using the logical fallacy of appeal to authority. Blake Shelton, a celebrated, famous country artist, starts out by telling the audience that they won’t believe the incredibly low prices of the pizza they are selling. After the usual commercial voice tells the listener exactly how much they would be getting and for what price, Shelton comes back on the screen and says, “but you can believe it because I’m telling you it’s true, and I’m a celebrity.” Blake Shelton is widely known and thought by the public to be a genuine guy so people are supposed to think that if he is endorsing Pizza Hut then they must be worthy of the public’s business. Pizza Hut is using appeal to authority in an unusually honest way by so obviously pointing out why everyone should buy their product and the exact angle they are using to sell it.

Logical Fallacies in DirecTV Rob Lowe Commercials

DirecTV has recently released a series of commercials centered around Rob Lowe and his odd alter egos. In the commercials, normal Rob Lowe has DirecTV and as a result is happier. Half of the commercial is normal Rob Lowe explaining the advantages of DirecTV. The other half of the commercial is “creepy Rob Lowe,” “awkward Rob Lowe” or any of the other negative Rob Lowe personas. These gross or strange characters all have cable.

These commercial utilize multiple logical fallacies. DirecTV is glorified because it is associated with attractive, confident, and famous Rob Lowe. Cable is downplayed by being associated with a bizarre and distasteful character. Also, the commercials use argument ad hominem when they attack the character of people who have cable by implying that they are akin to the scary Rob Lowe alter egos. Finally, the commercials represent an appeal to Rob Lowe’s ethos as a famous person.

The logical fallacies present in the Rob Lowe commercials are far from dangerous. They are just silly ways to appeal to consumers with humor. However, in other more serious situations, logical fallacies can be misleading and untruthful. Luckily, they can often be spotted and avoided.

Could Switching to Geico Really Save Me 15% or More on Car Insurance?

There are a many examples of logical fallacies in modern life. They can be found on TV more than anywhere else, often in the form of amusing commercials. The logical fallacies in amusing commercials are often obvious, and subsequently very funny, because they expose to viewers how absurd commercials truly are. In an unfunny commercial, the ad will most likely use logical fallacies, but subtly, so that viewers cannot tell, and perhaps don't care. Commercials like the one above, on the other hand, embrace the absurdity of advertising with logical fallacies to make their commercial funny and amusing, even if in no way representative of the product.

In the above set of commercials, a serious, well-dressed man asks "Could switching to Geico really save you 15% or more on car insurance?" followed by a comedic rhetorical question which the adjoining video clip answers as "yes." The initial assertion of each rhetorical question is an example of a non-sequitur and faulty analogy. None of the rhetorical questions have anything to do with whether a customer could truly save 15% or more on car insurance, but the man asks each question with an icy seriousness that might temporarily trick the viewer into believing they might be related. In the mind of the audience, whether or not Geico's claim is true is reliant upon the answer to the ridiculous follow up question, to which the answer is inevitably yes. This could also partially be a straw man argument, because the man is misrepresenting the possibility that Geico's claim is false by saying its only false if the answer to the rhetorical question is false, which it is not.

Generally, however, the people who watch these commercials are not convinced to buy car insurance because they are guaranteed to save 15% because "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." They are convinced because the absurdity of the commercial is funny, and that humor draws them to remember the claim of being able to save 15% or more on car insurance.